Cigarette turn around

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE RELATES TO A DEVICE FOR CUTTING A SINGLE ROW OF TWO AXIALLY ALIGNED CIGARETTES HAVING AN INTERPOSED DOUBLE LENGTH FILTER PLUG IN HALF TO FORM TWO ROWS, EACH ROW BEING FED TO A GROOVED DRUM, TWO GROOVED DRUMS BEING USED TO SPACE AND OFFSET THE SEVERED CIGARETTES. THE DRUMS ARE MOUNTED TO ROTATE FREELY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS ABOUT A COMMON AXIS AND ARE SPACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM EACH OTHER, THE DRUMS HAVING A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF GROOVES. A TURN AROUND DEVICE IS COUPLED TO PICK UP THE CIGARETTES OF ONE ROW, TURN THEM AROUND, AND THEREAFTER POSITION THEM BETWEEN THE CIGARETTES OF THE OTHER ROW.

1971 F. GIATTI 3,625,103

CIGARETTE TURN AROUND Filed April 6, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVI'JNIOR.Fl LIPPO GIATTI ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1971 G|ATT| 3,625,103

CIGARETTE TURN AROUND Filed April 6, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvmv'mu.FILIPPO GIATTI ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1971 F. GIATTI 3,625,103

CIGARETTE TURN AROUND Filed April 6, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 5INVI'I'N'I'UR. FILIPPO GIATTI Z L) Mk4 ATTORNEY United States Patent3,625,103 CIGARETTE TURN AROUND Filippo Giatti, Bologna, Italy, assignorto MF Incorporated Filed Apr. 6, 1970, Ser. No. 25,869 Claims priority,application Italy, Apr. 30, 1969,

Int. Cl. B26d 1/14 US. Cl. 83-102 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis disclosure relates to a device for cutting a single row of twoaxially aligned cigarettes having an interposed double length filterplug in half to form two rows, each row being fed to a grooved dr-um,two grooved drums being used to space and offset the severed cigarettes.The drums are mounted to rotate freely at different speeds about acommon axis and are spaced longitudinally from each other, the drumshaving a different number of grooves. A turn around device is coupled topick up the cigarettes of one row, turn them around, and thereafterposition them between the cigarettes of the other row.

This invention relates to cigarette makers in general and, moreparticularly, to devices connected with filter tip cigarettes.

In the filter tip cigarette production, it has been found convenient tocouple cigarettes delivered, one by one, in sequence, by a cigarettemaker to form a group of pairs of cigarettes having an interposed filterplug of twice the length desired for a single cigarette. By so doing,each pair of cigarettes can have a single connector sheet which wrapsthe double length filter plug as well as a short section of the twocigarettes abutting the ends of the filter plug.

After this operation, the group of pairs or assemblage of cigarettes soarranged must be cut in the middle of the double length filter plugwhich results in the formation of two opposite rows of cigarettes. Thecigarettes of one of the rows must then be turned around and,subsequently, grouped with those of the other row, for delivery, forinstance, to a cigarette hopper packer or the like.

This invention relates to a device for arranging two rows of oppositepairs of cigarettes axially aligned and having a double length filterplug interposed between them into a single row by means of a unit whichseparates and offsets the rows of cigarettes. The unit consists of twogrooved drums mounted to rotate at differential speeds, around a commonaxis of rotation. The drums are longitudinally interspaced some distancebetween each other and have a different number of grooves. One of thedrums is associated with rotating means for spacing the cigarettes ofone of the rows from those of the other row, said unit being operativelyinterposed between a unit which transfers and separates the pairs ofcigarettes and a turn around unit which picks up the cigarettes of onerow and turns them around to obtain a single row of filter tipcigarettes.

According to another feature of the invention, the cigarette spacingmeans associated with one of the drums can be a disc mounted to freelyrotate around an axis of rotation, oblique with respect to that of theassociated drum, on a corresponding fixed oblique hub fitted to theshaft of said drum, the disc being rotatably driven rotatingly by thesame drum, for instance, through a friction coupling between a frictionring, integral with the disc and a corresponding annular and flaredsurface of the drum, the diameter of the drum being such as to engageperipherally the cigarettes of the row to be spaced on 3,625,103Patented Dec. 7, 1971 the head of the filter plug such that thecigarettes are moved axially outward in the drum grooves without causingany sliding between the disc and the cigarettes engaged by it.

There has been thus outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description hereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which thisdisclosure is based may readily be utilized as the basis for the designof other structures for carrying out the several purposes of theinvention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded asincluding such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method ofoperation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, willbest be understood from the following description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of structure for cutting, turning aroundand aligning the cigarettes to form a single row in accordance with theprinciples of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the front of the structure illustrated inFIG. 1.

With reference to the drawings,-pairs or assemblies of cigarettes havinga double length filter plug interposed between them and held together bymeans of connector sheets, are laid in any suitable manner, one by one,in the successive flutes 101 of a fluted drum 1, and operativelyassociated with a rotating drum 2 which separates the two cigarettes ofeach pair with a cross cut in the middle of the double length filterplug F. After cutting, the cigarettes of each pair are slightlyinterspaced relative to each other in the area of the cut, by pneumaticmeans such as jets of air or the like directed through holes drilled inthe flutes 101.

The cigarettes so spaced from each other or separated are transferredfrom drum 1 to a spacing and offsetting unit 3 consisting of two fluteddrums 103, 203 having the same geometrical axis of rotation, parallel tothat of drum 1, but interspaced between each other to permit drum 103 toprotrude outwardly with respect to drum 101, while drum 103 remainsaligned with cigarettes S2 of the second row on drum 1.

Drum 103 which has an axis of rotation 4 is positioned to rotate about afixed shaft or hub 5 which rotatably supports a disc 6, positioned torotate around a geometrical axis of rotation that is oblique withrespect to that of drum 103. The diameter of the disc 6 is sized toengage endwise the cigarettes S1 attached to filter plug F1, when saidcigarettes are transferred to the offsetting unit 3 from drum 1. Thedisc '6 is rotatably driven by the drum 1 by means of a frictioncoupling such as a friction ring 7 which is integral with the disc 6 andpositioned to engage a surface 8 of the drum. With this arrangement,disc 6, during its rotation around the oblique axis, determines theaxial outward displacement of cigarettes S1 of the first row, asillustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This displacement is greater thanthat which is obtainable with any fixed guide and the displacement iseffected without causing cigarettes to rub against the filter plug headand to suffer possible foldings.

The coaxial drums 103 and 203 have a diflferent number of grooves and,more precisely, drum 203, associated with the row of cigarettes S2 whichare to be turned, has

one groove less than drum 103. Furthermore, the two drums 103 and 203are rotatably driven in the same direction but at different speeds tocause half of a pitch offset between the two drums in a 180 rotation,drum 203 being rotated at a faster speed than drum. 103.

From drums 103 and 203, cigarettes S2 and cigarettes S1, separated inthe previously described manner, are transferred to a drum 9 on whichare arranged .two pairs of grooved discs 109, 209, the discs of eachpair being spaced from each other. Discs 109 support deep groovesequispaced around the periphery of the disc and receive cigarettes S1,P1 of the first row. Interposed between the grooves 10 are grooves 11,said grooves being shallow relative to grooves 10. Discs 209 supportgrooves which are positioned around the periphery and spaced tocooperate with the grooves 11 of the pair of discs 109.

Cigarettes S2, F2 of the second row must be turned around and groupedwith the cigarettes S1, F1 to form a single and well .arranged row offilter tip cigarettes. The turn around and grouping can be accomplishedby means of two fluted frusto-conical drums operatively associated witheach other. The drums are maintained in synchronized rotation by meansof pairs of frusto-conical gears 112, 113 which are coupled to anddriven by a shaft 14, which is coupled to drum 9 through chain drive andto offsetting unit 3 through a pair of gears 16, 17, one of the drums103, 203 being driven by separate means to provide the above mentioneddifferentiated speed between the drums 102, 203.

Drum 12 is positioned to receive cigarettes S2, F2 and retain thempneumatically in its flutes for substantially one-half of a revolutionof the drum and up to matching point T with drum 13. At matching pointT, the cigarettes S2, F2 are pneumatically picked up by drum 13 fromdrum 12. The cigarettes pneumatically held, by drum 13 are then fed tothe shallow flutes 11 of the pair of discs 109 of drum 9 to which drum13 is operatively coupled. The transfer of a cigarette S2, F2 from aflute of discs 209 to a flute 11 of discs 109 through the frusto-conicaldrums 12 and 13 causes a complete turning around of the cigarettestransferred. Thus, a cigarette delivered to a flute 11 will bepositioned to the filter plug F2 on the same side as the filter plug F1of cigarette S1. Cigarettes S2, F2 are thus grouped with cigarettes S1,F1 and inserted between the latter so as to form a single row of filtertip cigarettes which can then be transferred to a transfer unit 19 forfurther processing. The difference of one flute between drums 103 and203 and the differentiated speed between the drums cooperate to providethe necessary offset required to insert the cigarettes of the second rowbetween those of the first row. The cigarettes can be retained withinthe grooves or flutes of the various drums of the device by pneumaticand/or mechanical means. Thus, for instance, on the drums of unit 3 thecigarettes can be retained mechanically by means of curved guideelements 20 arranged around the bottom portion of the drums and when thecigarettes are positioned within the grooves or cut-outs 10 and 11, theycan be retained pneumatically by suction through holes convenientlyarranged in the bottom portions of said grooves.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodimentwhich has been described and illustrated, but many changes could beincorporated, mainly, from a constructive viewpoint. Thus, for instance,although the description and the drawings relate to a device for turningaround the cigarette of the second row, it is clear that in an analogousmanner, also the cigarettes of the first row could be turned around. Allthis without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for arranging in a single row two opposite rows of pairs ofaxially aligned cigarettes having an interposed double length filterplug comprising first means to support said pairs of axially alignedcigarettes having an interposed double length filter plug, knife meanscoupled to said first means to separate the two cigarettes of each pairwith a cut across the middle of the double length filter plug, secondmeans coupled to receive one of the cigarettes of the severed pair ofcigarettes, third means coupled to receive the other of the cigarettesof the severed pair of cigarettes, means to rotatably drive said secondmeans and said third means at different speeds, turn around meanscoupled to said second means and said third means to receive and turnaround one of the cigarettes of the severed pair of cigarettes andthereafter insert said cigarette in alignment with the other cigaretteto form a row.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said second means and said thirdmeans are coupled to rotate about the same geometrical axis.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said second means supports cut-outsto accommodate cigarettes and said third means supports cut-outs toaccommodate cigarettes.

4. The structure of claim 3 comprising spacing means coupled to saidthird means to axially separate the severed cigarette of a pair ofcigarettes.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said spacing means comprises a disccoupled to rotate about an axis oblique to the axis of rotation of saidthird means to axially urge cigarettes supported by the cutouts of saidthird means outward and away from the cigarettes supported by thecutouts of said second means.

6. The structure of claim 5 comprising means to rotatably drive saiddisc.-

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said first means comprises a drumhaving longitudinally positioned equispaced flutes to receive the pairsof axially aligned cigarettes having an interposed double length filterplug, orifices coupled to the flutes to direct air against the severedpair of cigarettes to urge the cigarettes axially away from each other.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said second means has a differentnumber of cutouts than said third means.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said second means has one cutoutless than said third means.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said second means is rotatablydriven at a speed that is faster than the speed of said third means.

11. The structure of claim 10 wherein said second means is rotatablydriven at a speed that is one-half of a cutout faster than the speed ofsaid third means for of rotation.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein said turn around means comprisesfirst fluted discs coupled to receive from said second means cigarettesthat are to be turned around, second fluted discs coupled to receivecigarettes from said third .means, a first frusto-conical turn aroundmember coupled to receive cigarettes from said first fluted disc and asecond frusto-conical turn around member coupled to receive cigarettesfrom said first frusto-conical turn around, and feed said cigarettes tosaid second fluted discs interposed between cigarettes received fromsaid third means.

13. The structure of claim 12 wherein said second means, said thirdmeans, said first fluted discs, said second fluted discs, said firstfrusto-conical turn around and said second frusto-conical turn aroundare coupled to be driven in synchronism with each other by a commondrive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,988,198 6/1961 Pinkham l9832JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R.

